Top Kansas University faculty and staff to get raises on Jan. 1

Faculty and staff at Kansas University are eligible for merit-based raises that will kick in on Jan. 1. The money for the raises comes from more than $5.2 million in funds collected from increased tuition.

KU officials said the raises were not designed to be an across-the-board increase, but will instead be used to retain top-performing faculty and staff.

KU Provost Jeff Vitter said the raises were an effort to keep “the very best employees” and recognize meritorious service to KU. He outlined the process in which the money was distributed.

The raises were available for faculty and staff, excepting university support staff, who received a separate negotiated raise package.

• Deans and vice provosts were allocated a pool of money equal to 1 percent of their total amount spent on salaries to be spent on employee raises. Gavin Young, a spokesman for the provost’s office, said that only employees who received a positive performance review were eligible for the raises.

• In addition, deans and vice provosts were allocated another pool of money equal to 0.25 percent of their total salary budget for employees who demonstrated special merit.

• A third pool of money, equal to 0.75 percent of total salaries, was made available for superior performance and was limited to no more than the top 25 percent of employees.

Young said the money in all three categories had some discretion for deans and vice provosts, so not all employees received the same percentage raise.

Most employees who are scheduled to receive raises have likely already been informed, Vitter said. The raises will begin for KU employees on Jan. 1.

The plan represents the first significant effort to raise faculty and staff salaries at KU since the 2009-10 academic year.

Most KU employees are part of the 99%. They work very hard, long hours, going far beyond the "extra mile" to protect the students' experiences despite the economic straits. They haven't gotten even a smidgeon of a raise in years. They see colleagues at private institutions getting raises, on top of salaries that were higher to begin with. And still they stay, and do an excellent job. Consumer1, antiopatioo, queequeg, lawrenceguy40, perhaps you think you sound smart when you deride public education and public educators, but you just come across as narrow-minded and jealous. I can't believe that you really intend for readers of this forum to see you that way.

My, my how testy can we be when it is wondered aloud why university state employees are so much more special than other state employees who have not had any raises. What makes the university state employees sooooo special? I have known state employees who would be glad to receive even a fraction of what the university state employees are given in raises. Go ahead and be self righteous, but also be aware that you are pricing yourself out of business with your self centered greed. KU is losing enrollment and a significant part of that is because KU cannot be afforded. It is just that simply. I am surprised you have not realized this.

My, my how testy can we be when it is wondered aloud why university state employees are so much more special than other state employees who have not had any raises. What makes the university state employees sooooo special? I have known state employees who would be glad to receive even a fraction of what the university state employees are given in raises. Go ahead and be self righteous, but also be aware that you are pricing yourself out of business with your self centered greed. KU is losing enrollment and a significant part of that is because KU cannot be afforded. It is just that simply. I am surprised you have not realized this.

KU support staff are paid on the same pay scale as every other state worker. If you read the article thoroughly, "The raises were available for faculty and staff, excepting university support staff, who received a separate negotiated raise package". University support staff ALSO will receive raises...and my understanding is that it is across the board. KRichards, my guess is that someone in your department, maybe the department head or admin assistant, does know about your raise.

Funny how everyone complains about salaries that are the norm in higher education and that these people have worked all of their life in their profession to recieve it because that was what they were told when they began their training, but no complaints on the CEOs of private companies that rake in millions of dollars a year and leave nothing for the stockholders and rest of their employees. Or I suppose you think it is "socialism" for some reason if we don't allow the CEOs to get what they are not entitled to.